It’s not that I didn’t have permission to land at the private grass strip. It’s that the person who granted me permission to land there wasn’t technically the owner.
While marked private on the chart, an idyllic grass strip proved to be friendly and welcoming in person. [Courtesy: Jason McDowell]
Key Takeaways:
The author flew to a private grass strip, Der Schwarzwald Airport, with informal permission from a friend who wasn't the owner, causing initial apprehension about potentially being an unwelcome intruder.
Upon landing, the author was greeted by the airfield owners, one of whom (Al) turned out to be an acquaintance from a previous aviation photography project.
The visit proved to be a welcoming and enjoyable experience, including a hangar tour and shared stories, alleviating the author's fears and resulting in an open invitation for future landings.
Bail money isn’t something that I typically include on my before-landing checklist. Of all the variables with which one might have to contend upon landing at a new airport, incarceration generally isn’t one of them.
But on a late-afternoon flight through the Wisconsin countryside last week, it did cross my mind.
CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT
Sign up to keep reading
Create a free account to continue. Already a member? Sign in below.
Jason McDowell is a private pilot and Cessna 170 owner based in Madison, Wisconsin. He enjoys researching obscure aviation history and serves as a judge for the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. He can be found on Instagram as @cessnateur.
